Monday marked the beginning of the New York Knicks 2018-2019 season, as the exciting young team faced off against last season's 8-seed, the Washington Wizards. In an extremely sloppy preseason game (44 turnovers combined), the Knicks defeated the Wizards 124-121 in an overtime period that had the intensity of a pickup game at your local YMCA.

The Knicks came out the gate with blazing speed, showcasing the pace that Head Coach David Fizdale had been pining over all summer long. After finishing 2nd-to-last in the entire league last season in three-pointers attempted (23.3 per game), the young New York squad showed a slight uptick in this category, taking 29 threes and making 13 of them (a very tidy 41%!).

With one game in the history books (totally reliable sample size, right?), I've seen enough to confidently drop some scorching hot takes about this season's roster..

The Summer League-induced hype surrounding the Knicks draft selections was anything but misleading.

If you had the pleasure of watching this game, you'll know that the story of this Knicks victory was the performances by the pair of 2018 NBA Draft selections, Mitchell Robinson and Kevin Knox.

Let's start with Mitchell Robinson who, surprisingly, was the more impressive rookie in Monday's game. Mitch Rob put up a solid 6 points (on 3-4 shooting), along with 7 rebounds and 1 block in 16 minutes. Stats do not tell the entire tale here though.

Considering his lackluster performance in Saturday's Open Practice, where he was repeatedly pushed around by fellow Center, Enes Kanter, I certainly had my doubts about the 7'1" big man. I feared that Robinson wasn't as far along in his development as we had all expected, and I worried that his strong Summer League performance may have been a bit of an aberration.

How wrong I was. Mitchell Robinson was a force in the first half, walling off the rim to the Wizards offense. He showcased his length and defensive instincts that made him so tantalizing as a prospect, and his positional awareness on the defensive side of the ball was extraordinary given his age (20-years-old). Perhaps his best moment of the night was the charge he took against Kelly Oubre Jr. With Oubre barreling to the rim, Robinson noticed the hole in the Knicks defense and moved his feet with the quickness of a guard to get in front of the Wizards swingman. What resulted was a charge, which Robinson had no business earning considering how out of position he was in the first place. On offense, Robinson was a lob-sucking machine. He's one of those guys that can finish just about anything, cleaning up sloppy passes to the rim (a la Deandre Jordan). Seriously, throw anything even remotely close to the cup, and this guy will bring it home for a thunderous slam.

There were still some growing pains, which can best be summarized by my (likely ill-advised) tweet from Saturday's practice:

Mitchell Robinson does the classic “trying to block everything in his sight” thing that a lot of young bigs do, which results in a lot of fouling #openpractice

Regardless, Robinson showcased his potential as an anchor to an elite defense, further strengthening the points I made in August's article.

Enough about Robinson. The Knicks first-round pick, Kevin Knox, also had an impressive game, recording his first NBA double/double with 12 points and 13 rebounds. Knox started off the game slowly, and likely felt some rookie jitters, missing his first three jump shots. His first field goal was fitting: his already trademarked sweeping right-hook in traffic. His performance really picked up in the second half, after making a sweet 18-foot pull-up jumper in transition. What followed was two swished three-point makes. It still remains to be seen if Knox can shake the label of being a streaky shooter, but the ability to stoke threes with consistency is in there, somewhere.

The one thing that is clear about Knox is that he's going to be an unstoppable force when getting to the rim. With tremendous ball-handling skills for his size, a great motor, and a myriad of finishes, Knox will be a hassle for the opposing defense around the rim.

What really impressed me about his game was his rebounding. Unlike some of his score-first predecessors at the forward position *cough cough, Melo*, Knox has the right instincts when grabbing for boards. He appears to be one of those guys that is always in the right place at the right time, and he has the athleticism to bring down the ball amidst a sea of arms. He has clearly been reading scripture from the Church of Fiz, considering he pushed the ball up the court every single time he grabbed a board on defense. His rebounding will be key for the Knicks, as his finishing abilities make him a lethal threat in transition, which in turn opens up the spacing for his teammates' corner threes.

Last but not least, we can't forget Allonzo Trier, the Knicks 2018 undrafted free agent signing from the University of Arizona. If you looked up the definition of a "gunner" in the dictionary, you'd see a picture of Trier's smiling face next to it. After a very lackluster Summer League performance where he (maybe) passed the ball twice, Trier has shown signs of promise in both Monday's preseason game and Saturday's Open Practice. He's a very shifty player who stole the ankles of not one, but two Wizards players during the fourth quarter.

Trier's biggest skill is playing within himself by putting his head down and getting to the rim. So far, he's showcased a skill that many younger (and older!) players never figure out: utilizing their best skills and their best skills only.

Some more takes...

No one from the trio of former draft lottery selections-turned Knicks' role players has stood out.

That was a mouthful, wasn't it? We need a better name for this group of players (Hezonja, Mudiay, and Vonleh). Let's call them the "Flyer Boyz," shall we? Considering they're all playing for their NBA careers this season.

Anyway, the #FlyerBoyz weren't exactly intoxicating on Monday. Mario Hezonja, a personal favorite of mine, was probably the best of the group.

After an electrifying performance during Saturday's Open Practice that consisted of no-look passes and a barrage of three-pointers, it's safe to say that I was ready for the Hezonja experience in New York (insert: my second shameless Twitter plug).

I’ve doubled, tripled, and quadrupled down on Hezonja at this Knicks Open Practice. Dying on this hill

Hezonja began Monday's game looking downright terrible. First was the bad pull-up three that air-balled with plenty of time on the shot-clock. Then came a silly turnover, as Hezonja forced a pass to the corner that was quickly swallowed up by two defenders. Things on Hezonja Island were looking pretty dire. Rations were low and we were beginning to panic..

That all changed as Hezonja began to heat up in the second half, hitting a couple of threes and threading the needle between three defenders on a nice no-look pass to Mitchell Robinson. Hezonja finished the game a -1, which seemed pretty appropriate. He didn't particularly stand out however there wasn't anything appalling throughout his 22 minutes of playing time.

Noah Vonleh was someone I was checking for during the game. He didn't enter the game until the third quarter, which was surprising, considering he was an inside force during Saturday's scrimmage. The man's body composition is downright ridiculous: 6'9" with a 250lb frame of pure muscle and legs the size of tree trunks. Combine that frame with his age (23 years young) and athleticism, and you'll see why scouts were drooling over him in the first place. He has more speed than most big men his size, and he can easily topple over smaller defenders while banging bodies in the post. In the perfect world, Vonleh would learn the tricks of the trade from Enes Knater, and become one of the best low-post bruisers in the league. After Saturday's scrimmage, it appeared that he was well on his way to earning that title.

This game was a different story. The basketball IQ issues that my colleague, Dylan, detailed in his excellent article were on full display on Monday. His worst moment of the night was when he attempted a lay-up that was spiked into the crowd by former Knick, Jason Smith, of all people. Considering how much of a physical freak he is, it's alarming that even after 5 seasons, Vonleh still hasn't found a place in this league.

Last up is Emmanuel Mudiay, who much like Vonleh, showed no signs of improvement in the weakest part of his game: decision making. Mudiay was 1-6 on the night with a particularly awful finish in traffic that barely grazed the rim during the first quarter. He also lost the ball off his leg during a wide-open breakaway.

Other Notes:

The team plays similar to the Golden State Warriors. - In that they come out the gates like gangbusters in the beginning of both halves. It remains to be seen if they can have the third quarter success that makes the Warriors so deadly, but it's enticing to see the Knicks come out with such intensity.

Frank Ntilikina does not appear to have progressed on offense. - Frank's biggest problem last season was his tendency to give up the ball too easily on offense. He was tentative, to say the least, and this problem appears to remain unresolved. Frank quietly put up 5 points and 2 assists during the game against the Wizards. He wasn't bad per say, but he didn't do much on the court and frankly wasn't involved at all on offense. This unfortunately resembled his performance during Saturday's Open Practice, and I'm beginning to worry about his fit on offense with this young Knicks core.

Lance Thomas is finally getting used correctly. - At long last, someone is coaching Lance Thomas the right way. After receiving an undeserved amount of disdain from Knicks fans, Thomas was impressive in Fiz's new system, anchoring the defense with his veteran leadership. Thomas was the leading scorer of the first half, launching corner threes and dropping in some nice floaters. Thomas finished the game with 12 points on a very nice 4-5 shooting night. For the first time since his 2015 contract-year season, Thomas looked comfortable on the court. Perhaps Knicks fans will finally learn to appreciate the most underrated player on this roster, Lance Thomas.

Kanter is easily the most consistent player on this roster. - (no surprise here). He had some great pick-and-role chemistry with Trey Burke. Speaking of the former Wolverine...

Trey Burke will likely be the starting point guard for this team. He was hands down the most steady guard on the court, finishing the game with a +2 on the night. He flashed those around-the-rim chops that I've written about in great detail in the past, and also produced (arguably) the highlight of the night:

For better of for worse, Tim Hardaway Jr. is going to have the green light all season long. - Outside of Knox, Burke, and maybe Trier, Tim Hardaway Jr. is the only player on this Knicks roster that is capable of creating his own shot. Boy does he use this to his advantage. Timmy was particularly trigger-happy against Washington, throwing up 8 attempts in 11 minutes of playing time. It seemed like he barfed up a shot the second the ball touched his hands. Perhaps the most concerning part of his game was his 1-6 shooting night from three. The majority of Hardaway's three pointers were heavily contested, off-the-dribble heaves that occurred early in the shot-clock. These shots are pretty ill-advised, considering the difficulty of these attempts, and the fact that he shot a below-average 31% from three last season. Even with this in mind, Hardaway Jr. showed no signs of slowing down. So yeah, be ready Knicks fans. Tim Hardaway Jr. is here to chuck.

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/should-the-knicks-pursue-jimmy-butler2018-09-20T11:37:00-04:002018-09-20T11:37:37-04:00Should the Knicks Pursue Jimmy Butler? If So, Who Should They Give Up?Bold Apps

This week, I attended the Knicks Town Hall meeting (full-length article reviewing this event later this week). One of the most interesting moments of the night was when Team President Steve Mills stated..

“We’re not going to trade our draft picks. We believe New York will buy into a plan.”

First came the Sham Bomb.

Jimmy Butler has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski. Butler has given Minnesota a list of one-to-three teams with whom he's open to signing extension, in anticipation of trade.

And with that, for the first time since the 2011 Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, the Knicks were officially in real discussions to acquire one of the league’s premier stars.

Butler has made his interest to join the New York Knicks very clear. However the question remains..

Should the team go after Jimmy Butler? If so, what pieces should they be willing to part with to acquire him?

The answer to the first question is short - Yes. The Knicks should absolutely pursue Jimmy Butler. Their star player, Kristaps Porzingis, is quietly a restricted free agent this summer, and adding Butler will show Porzingis that the team is dedicated to building a winning roster around him.

However, to avoid making the same mistakes that the team made in 2011 with the Carmelo Anthony trade, the Knicks should avoid “trading the farm” to Minnesota in return for Butler. Obviously, Kristaps Porzingis should be off the table, but I would also consider labeling Kevin Knox as untradable just based on the promise he showed over the Summer League. With Porzingis and Knox off the table, the Knicks… frankly (no pun intended... see Knicks deal) don’t have a ton to offer. Luckily for them though, the other two destinations (Brooklyn Nets and the LA Clippers) that Butler preferred don’t either.

I fired up the gold ol’ ESPN trade machine to come up with the best trade packages from each team.

This one is a little risky for the Timberwolves, given that Tobias Harris is a free agent next summer. However, in my opinion, he is by far the best asset that any team could offer Minnesota in a Jimmy Butler trade. The Clippers don’t have their first-round pick next season (surprise, surprise.. the Celtics do), but they can offer up their two first-round picks from the 2018 draft. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be especially promising for the Wolves, as he not only fits the timeline of the team’s stars (Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns) better than Butler, but he also showed flashes over the Summer League.

This trade is essentially a talent grab for the Timberwolves from a very weak Brooklyn Nets roster. Let’s be clear. If I’m the Timberwolves, I hang up the phone the second that this trade is proposed by Brooklyn. Although Russell has showed flashes, he’s still dreadfully inconsistent and has struggled with injuries. Hollis-Jefferson is nothing more than a defensive guy and Allen Crabbe is a great shooter with an albatross contract that comes off the books next summer. If I’m Minnesota, I need at least one asset I could feel confident about going forward. Apologies to D-Loading, but he wouldn’t suffice.

The New York Knicks trade Mitchell Robinson, Enes Kanter, Frank Ntilikina to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler.

Without letting go of Kevin Knox, this is the best possible deal for both sides. The Timberwolves would acquire Buff Frank Ntilikinaas their Point Guard / Shooting Guard (if he never figures out dribbling) of the future, who is a guy that they can rebuild their defense with. They would also receive Enes Kanter, an expiring, who would come off the books next summer and would immediately flee to Sam Presti’s doorstep begging for a spot on the Thunder.

The last piece would hurt the most - Mitchell Robinson, the big man who has become a fan favorite for his tenacious blocks in Summer League. Although it may pain the Knicks to let him go, there’s a chance that his value may never be higher. Remember, he didn’t play a game in college and has yet to step on an NBA court to go against real NBA players. Robinson would be the perfect foil to Towns. He's a defensive stalwart who would clean up for KAT's mistakes.

Which one of these deals is the best?

It’s a close call between the Clippers and the Knicks. The Knicks would offer more young talent in Frank Ntilikina and Mitchell Robinson, but the Clippers would offer something that no other team could provide: a proven asset that has shown the ability to produce. Tobias Harris put up 19PPG and 5RB on 41% three-point shooting last season. Gun to my head, I would probably pick the Clippers deal, but again it’s a close call.

Great... so the Knicks miss out on Jimmy Butler. Are we sure that Knox is worth keeping?

As I mentioned before, I would try to keep Knox off the table. To even consider placing Knox in a deal, the Knicks would need to know these two things about Butler:

Jimmy Butler is fully healthy. In the 2018-2019 season, Jimmy Butler missed 17 games due to a Meniscus injury. This was likely caused by his overwhelming workload. Last season he was third in the league in minutes played at 36.7 per game, and over the past five seasons, he has averaged a whopping 37.6 minutes per game. The wear and tear is real when it comes to the Timberwolves (ex?) swingman so the team would need a near-perfect diagnosis when evaluating the All-Star.

The Knicks have 100% security that Butler will resign with the team. Without that assurance, Butler should be looked at as nothing more than a one-year rental. Trading major assets (such as Knox) would be incredibly unwise, as Butler would only be under contract to the Knicks for the 2018-2019 season. He has the option to hit free agency next summer and potentially leave the team. This is why I suggest taking the “selling low" route, and mirroring the Paul George to OKC trade (for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis), which at the time, seemed like a low price to pay for a superstar.

Now what? What’s next?

The caption from our Instagram (give us a follow, why don't cha?) post following the Butler announcement summarizes it best:

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/the-time-a-41-year-old-bob-cousy-tried-to-personally-halt-the-69-knicks-win-streak2018-09-16T00:00:00-04:002018-09-16T19:24:10-04:00That Time a 41-year old Bob Cousy Tried and Failed to Halt the '69 Knicks' Win StreakBold Apps
By Dylan Horgan

"From the Royals' bench, a rookie coach named Bob Cousy yelled to his man, "Next time DeBusschere shoves you, take his head off."

"DeBusschere shot back, "Why don't you come out of retirement and try it?"

(pg. 119, When the Garden was Eden, Harvey Araton)

It was November 28th in 1969, and the Knicks had won their last 17 games in a row. They had tied the all-time record for longest win-streak, then held by the 1959 Boston Celtics. In what can only be evidence of fate, the Knicks had a chance to break that record in a game against the Cincinatti Royals, now coached by the star of the 59' Celtics, Bob Cousy. Both teams approached the game with a deadly focus. Legacies were on the line. And yet, Coach Cousy raised the stakes even higher, to Shakespearean levels of drama, when he reactivated himself as a player just in time for the game.

A coach doing something like this now would be lunacy, very much a fireable offense. However, this was the era of player-coaches, and Cousy was a legend. He was within his rights to make the move and nobody stopped him. Still, the ridiculousness of the situation wasn't lost on the game's many spectators and participants.

"He was in his forties, hadn't played in six years, and he put himself in - can you imagine that?" - Oscar Robertson, easily one of the 15 greatest players of all-time, then the Royals' star. (pg. 120, When the Garden was Eden, Araton)

The game played out as if it had emerged from the mind of a screenwriter. The frontrunner Knicks came out to a slow start, falling behind early due to poor shooting. The deficit was quickly diminished by the Knicks' plucky, high-energy bench, who brought the victory back within grasp. As the war raged on, eventually New York's core players found their rhythm. The two teams fought back and forth until the game's final minute approached. Oscar Robertson fouled out late, and must have been fuming that he couldn't play down the stretch of a historic game.

Luckily for the Knicks, Cousy knew it was time to get to work.

The coach had spent the entirety of the game in his sweats, doing his normal job and waiting for his moment. With 1:49 left in the 4th quarter, the Royals' up by 3, Cousy checked into the game for the first time. The team had done a decent job on their own up until then, but he didn't trust them to seal the deal.

To his credit, Cooz supposedly made a nice pass on the first possession, resulting in the Royals getting two foul shots. The Knicks now down by 5, it seemed that all hope was lost, until Willis Reed was fouled with 0:16 on the clock. Unsurprisingly, he knocked down both free throws. Fate wouldn't let this game end so simply.

Here is where the magic really happened.

Now Cousy had the ball under the basket, ready to make the inbound pass. With no timeouts, Cousy desperately heaved the ball to his not-actually-open forward, whose fingertips never touched leather. The pass had been intercepted by Dave DeBusschere, who quickly layed the ball in.

It was a costly mistake, but the worst was yet to come.

Now up by one, the Royals could still secure a win solely by safely inbounding the ball. The Knicks would have to foul to get back possession before the clock ran out, and in this pre-three point shooting era victory would be more or less ensured.

Unfortunately for the Royals, Cousy now attempted a 3/4-court chuck to the same forward he'd targeted on the previous play. This time, Willis Reed knocked the ball loose before Clyde Frazier grabbed the rock and zoomed up the court. Hyped up on adrenaline, Frazier missed the initial pull-up jumper but corralled his own rebound, drawing a foul.

Two free throws later, the game was over.

The miraculous event occurred on an opposing team's court, so the Knicks had to return to their locker room before they could truly celebrate. They had clinched a historic 18-game win streak, a streak that would die at the conclusion of their very next game. Ironically, the record only lasted one season.

It was broken in 1971 by the Milwaukee Bucks, featuring a recently traded Oscar Robertson. An official reason was never given for why the Royals moved on from the Big O, but what's known is that the deal was masterminded by the one, the only:

On May 7th of 2018, it was announced that the New York Knicks had hired David Fizdale to lead their team, making him the fourth Knicks coach in four years.

Unlike his predecessors, Fizdale has the willpower and leadership to remain in charge, with the possibility of becoming the best Knicks coach since the days of Jeff van Gundy.

Fizdale is a culture changer.

Outside of lucking out in the draft and selecting a star, the best thing a rebuilding team can do is put in place a strong management team. Having the right guys in charge can be the difference maker when it comes to success. Just take a look at the San Antonio Spurs or Miami Heat from last season. Neither of those teams had any business advancing to the playoffs, but their coaches (Gregg Popovich and Erik Spoelstra, two of the league’s best) willed the teams to the first-round in spite of subpar talent.

David Fizdale shares many characteristics with both Coach Pop and Coach Spo: he runs a motion-heavy offense and places emphasis on becoming a defense that talks and works together. Most importantly, Fizdale is able to connect with his players on an extremely personal level, building strong and trusting relationships throughout his entire career. Directly after being announced as the Knicks coach, Fizdale hopped on the first flight to Latvia to meet with Kristaps Porzingis: the team’s star who (admittedly) has a somewhat prickly personality and has clashed with the team in the past. According to Mike Rose of NewsDay.com, the trip was a success, as Fizdale was able to build a strong bond with Porzingis while learning about the Unicorn's upbringing in his home country.

This is merely one example of Fizdale’s commitment to his players.

When Fizdale was (wrongly) fired by the Memphis Grizzlies back in November of 2017, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, both of whom played for Fizdale in Miami, took to Twitter and made these strong statements:

It says something when two of the league’s biggest stars, both of whom have very busy lives, take time out of their days to defend a man that hasn’t coached them in years.

So we’ve established that David Fizdale is a leader, a player’s coach. But the question remains:

How does he plan to coach the Knicks? Will it work?

David Fizdale made many promising statements in his first press conference. What stood out to me the most were his comments concerning the team’s defense, and to my chagrin, he appears to share the sentiment that the Knicks have the potential to be elite on that side of the floor.

According to Fizdale, he “want(s) to establish a top-ranked defense, a fast defense, a disruptive defense, a versatile defense, a loud defense, that sparks offense, and gets us into the open court.”

David Fizdale stated that plans to assign a larger workload to the team's strongest defenders, such as Lance Thomas (whose role has been limited since signing the 4-year, $27 million dollar contract back in 2016). Interestingly, Coach Fizdale plans to solve the Knicks overflow of talent at the point guard position by placing a heightened importance on defense (and not just offense!) when it comes to minutes distribution. He specifically named 22-year-old Emmanuel Mudiay as someone he expected to take it to the next level on the defensive side of the ball.

There's a perception that we live in an offense-first league.

In reality, the top teams in the league (Boston Celtics, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors) all have one thing in common: their foundation is a strong defense. These defenses kick-start a lethal transition offense, producing a dizzying amount of three-pointers. David Fizdale understands the best-kept secret in the NBA:

Basketball hasn't changed. We still live in a defense-first league.

In Memphis, Fizdale's coaching helped the team rise from the 19th-ranked defense to 7th best in the league. David Fizdale is capable of similar things in New York, based on his strong defensive philosophies and the team’s talent, and I expect last season's 23rd ranked defense to improve dramatically with Coach Fiz at the helm.

So how does Fizdale plan to coach the offense?

Going back to his press-conference, Fizdale stated the offense begins the second that the basketball is rebounded on defense. It doesn’t really matter who grabs the board, Fizdale wants the team to push the ball up the court and move on offense. Who knows, we may see a play next season where Enes Kanter leads the break!

On offense, what makes Fizdale truly unique is his tendency to run the offense through a big-man rather than through a score-first point-guard.

In Miami, Fizdale transformed Chris Bosh into one of the first modernistic stretch big-men, even after Bosh had spent years dominating in the low-post. Helping Bosh to become a threat from the three-point line allowed his teammates (i.e. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade) to do what they do best: cut to the rim off-ball and finish Bosh's passes with breathtaking dunks or gorgeous lay-ins.

In Memphis, David Fizdale did similar things for center, Marc Gasol, and challenged him to become an outside threat. Prior to his hiring, Gasol had taken 66 career three-point shots between 2008-2016 and posted a measly average of 18% from three. Since Fizdale’s hiring, Gasol has taken 588 three-point shots and has posted a respectable average of 36% from long range.

While coaching the Knicks, I expect Fizdale to run a similar offense to his days in Memphis and Miami, considering the Knicks star player is (fittingly) a big-man. This time however, Fizdale will not have to convert his big men into becoming an outside threat, as Porzinigis is already lethal from that range, posting an absurd 39.5% from three last season on 4.8 attempts per game.

With Fizdale in charge, I expect Porzingis’ style of play to change. Last season, the greatest share of Porzingis’ shots came from mid-range, and he shot a not-so-great 40.2% (see: video above). However, Porzingis also shot above-the-break 3's at an outstanding 39.2%, but took a whopping 100 fewer shots from this area of the court (compared to mid-range). Fizdale’s offense will likely place Porzingis above-the-break in shooting position more frequently, and I could see this greatly helping the team, as statistically speaking this is a more efficient shot.

With Porzingis at the top of the key, he will attract a majority of the opposing defense’s attention similar to a Klay Thompson (except, you know… He’s 7”3”). Because of this, his teammates will have more room to operate. For the team’s centers, this may mean scoring in the post at will (hello, Enes Kanter) or rising high for alley-oop dunks (i.e. Mitchell Robinson). The players that will benefit the most from Porzingis’ change in style will be the team’s guards. In the aforementioned press-conference, Fizdale emphasized that the Knicks’ guards will being playing “positionless,” and we will see this the most when Porzingis grasps the ball at the top of the key. For some guards, such as Courtney Lee or Mario Hezonja, their offense may entail curling off of ball-screens into open threes. For others, this may mean using their speed to blow by their defender, receive an entry pass, and finish at the rim. In the best case, this could be how Mudiay finds his footing on offense. For players with better ball-handling capabilities (a la Trey Burke or Tim Hardaway Jr.), they can receive the ball from Porzingis via a hand-off and either: drive to the rim, pull-up off the dribble, or even get off a nifty floater in traffic.

Porzingis could even hand the ball off to a willing distributer like Frank Ntilikina and curl off-ball to the corner for an open three point-shot (see: video above). Last season, Porzingis somehow only took 12 total corner threes. This is asinine given the shorter distance of these shots compared to other threes, especially considering his strong shooting numbers from this range (60% from the left corner and 57.1% from the right).

The Knicks need to increase these types of shots, and luckily for the team, Fizdale's offense will do so. By pushing the ball up the court, the team will give itself more time to run their offense correctly. Giving the ball to Porzingis at the top of the break leads to the greatest amount of options on offense (thanks to his shooting capabilities), and it allows for the young talent on the roster to excel at what they do best. With more time on the clock and more offensive movement from his teammates, Porzingis will take the most efficient shots possible (ideally alley-oop dunks and spot-up threes!).

The David Fizdale hiring is a huge moment in Knicks history.

Outside of the LeBron James signing and the Chris Paul/Paul George re-signings, I could see looking back at his hiring as the 4th most significant move of the 2018 off-season (yes, I have this higher than the Boogie signing!).

I expect Fizdale to greatly connect with his players and lead the charge of a suffocating defense. On offense, I expect to him to feature Porzingis correctly and allow him to ascend to that 7’3” Dirk Nowitzki role that we have all been craving for.

In 2011, the Dallas Mavericks shocked the world by winning the NBA title. Equipped with one of the best coaches in the league (Rick Carlisle), the best scoring big-man in the league (Dirk Nowitzki, whose sheer presence allowed his teammates to get easy buckets), and the 9th ranked defense, the team shocked world by defeating the Big-3 Miami Heat in 6 games.

Given the shared characteristics between the 2011 Mavericks and this Knicks roster, there’s plenty of reasons to get excited as a Knicks’ fan. Led by a top tier coach, a great defense, and a sweet-shooting big-man, the team can ascend to unforeseen heights. In fact, if you really squint and think about the future, you might be able to see Coach Fizdale and Kristaps Porzingis, hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in unison, and celebrating the team’s first title since 1973.

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/top-10-films-knicks-fans-should-watch2018-09-02T00:00:00-04:002018-09-02T10:12:20-04:00Top 10 Films Knicks Fans Should WatchBold Apps
So here we are in early September, the NBA is currently in hibernation. If you want to scratch that nagging itch, that desire to watch some Knicks basketball, perhaps you could check the TV. Maybe ESPN Classic is playing that old 90’s game (you know the one) when everybody got into a straight-up brawl, then shook hands and complimented each other on their post moves and hard screens (because that’s what men did in those days). Perhaps you could check Instagram, maybe you'll find a heavily edited clip of a bench player hitting 20 corner threes in a row.

OR

You could enjoy the definitive Top 10 Films Knicks Fans Should Watch!

To have a full appreciation of the Knickerbockers, you should have some awareness of both the team’s history AND New York basketball culture in general. This is reflected in the rankings.

Before I begin, an honorable mention:

The Business of the NBA Draft

This is a 23-minute Youtube video, so I decided it couldn’t be eligible for the top 10 films list. However, I strongly recommend every Knicks fan watch it. It’s a short 2015 documentary about a handful of NBA prospects preparing for the draft. Featured prominently is (you guessed it) a skinny, 19-year-old Kristaps Porzingis. The viewer gets a bit of an inside look at how teams evaluate prospects, and how agents influence that process. It doesn’t go too in-depth, but it’s an interesting watch if you know where all these players end up.

So without further ado, here is the official list!

Eddie

So, here’s the thing…this isn’t actually a good movie. Stay with me.

It is, however, kind of a surreal experience for a long-time Knicks fan. This movie was filmed in 1996, when Patrick Ewing was still in New York and the team was pretty good every single year. That’s not what this movie is about.

This movie is about a hopelessly struggling, incompetent Knicks squad distracted by off-court drama, bloated egos, and an eccentric owner. Sound familiar? Their fortunes don’t turn until the owner hires Eddie, a well-known, local Knicks superfan, to coach the team. She has no professional coaching experience, but she did win a half-time free-throw shooting contest. If this happened in real life, (I wish no harm towards James Dolan or his family) it would basically be the French Revolution all over again.

Most of the jokes fall flat and it plays everything too safe to be so bad it’s good, but it’s cool seeing how many real NBA players participated in the film. Mark Jackson basically plays himself as a Jesus-obsessed point guard, and John Salley gives a surprisingly competent performance as the team’s veteran leader. Rick Fox is good at being handsome and speaking knowingly about adultery. Clyde Frazier’s reaction to getting his jersey incinerated by a pyrotechnic special effect alone makes the movie worth watching.

Linsanity

This documentary attempts to give some context and backstory to arguably the most exciting two weeks in the last decade of Knicks fandom, Jeremy Lin’s legendary stint as the Knicks’ starting point guard. It’s extremely earnest, and goes all in on being an inspirational, feel-good story about an underdog proving everybody wrong. To its credit it is effective, and Lin is a very likable central figure.

It doesn’t really delve into Lin’s subsequent struggles with injuries or finding a long-term role at all, which is a problem of any sports documentary that features a still-active athlete. I’m sure Lin doesn’t want to damage relationships with anybody he might have to work with in the future. The film also doesn’t quite manage to show changes in Lin’s personal life after becoming ultra-famous overnight. Basically, I’m still waiting for a more interesting documentary to emerge 20 years from now, but give this a watch on a rainy day.

Patrick Ewing - Standing Tall

This is an old TV special about Patrick Ewing, illuminating his character and passion, as well as the racism he faced as a dominant high school and college player. It very much is a product of its time, featuring cheesy movie trailer-style narration and background music that always sounds like The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby but somehow never actually is The Way It Is by Bruce Hornsby. It’s a great introduction to Ewing’s career though, and is recommended for any new fans wanting to learn some history.

Whatever Happened to Michael Ray?

Admittedly this is right on the border of not being eligible, as a half-hour long TV Special. However, because of Chris Rock’s involvement and IMDB classifying it as a “TV Movie”, I decided that it makes the cut. Seemingly not available for purchase anywhere (watch it on Youtube), this obscure little documentary is about the rise and fall of Michael “Sugar” Ray Richardson. Michael Ray was once hyped as the next Clyde Frazier, but ended up with the (dis)honor of being the only player in NBA history to receive a life-time ban. Sugar was a nightmare for opposing teams on the court, and his life became a cocaine-fueled nightmare off the court. It’s striking how reserved and unassuming he seems in interviews, and how starkly his personality contrasts with the crazed man who would fake his own kidnapping to ransom some drug money.

Bernie and Ernie

The first ESPN 30 for 30 on the list, this doc tells the story of Bernard King and Ernie Grunfeld’s college friendship, and details their divergent paths in the NBA. Like every 30 for 30, the documentary is very well done. This film is mostly recommended for its portrait of King, the underrated Knicks star of the 80’s. The extraordinary scorer is a more troubled, thoughtful man than players like Melo or Ewing, and the documentary portrays some of King’s struggles with racism and alcoholism. The problem with the narrative is that Bernard King never really reached the coveted mountain top, nor did his inner demons truly ruin his career. The stakes just never seem that high. While it lacks a particularly engrossing climax, Bernie and Ernie is nevertheless a pleasant odd couple friendship story.

Doin it in the Park

There are multiple documentaries that explore the pickup basketball scene in New York City, and this is probably the best of the bunch. The film was made by two insiders, and they produced a fun look at the toughest courts in all five boroughs. New Yorkers take pick-up basketball VERY seriously, and future pros claim they weren’t good enough to get in a game on certain courts until high school. The subculture is presided over by a colorful cast of ballers, all of which hope to teach a single lesson: Everything is earned. Nothing is given.

He Got Game

He Got Game is a movie about a prisoner named Jake Shuttlesworth (Denzel Washington) who is given a week of parole to convince his New Yorker, basketball-prodigy son, Jesus Shuttlesworth (Ray Allen), to play for the Governor’s Alma Mater. If he does so, his prison sentence for killing his wife will be reduced. On paper it’s the movie Spike Lee was born to direct, and though it’s not quite as good as it should be, there are several scenes that are just perfect.

That scene where Denzel walks around Coney Island with Ray Allen talking about Earl “Jesus/Black Jesus/the Pearl” Monroe? So good. That scene in the end, where Denzel has to play Ray Allen for his freedom? So good.

That completely unnecessary sub-plot where Denzel tries to save a prostitute? Not so good. Ray Allen’s “good for a ball player” acting? Ehhh. Not so good.

Still, Denzel kills it as usual, and Spike Lee has a lot more on his mind than just basketball. He uses the central premise of a star athlete's recruitment to analyze capitalism and the way it can negatively affect even an essentially innocent, decent person (Jesus Shuttlesworth/Ray Allen). Lee can be a little heavy-handed when it comes to dialogue, but his films are always beautifully shot and engaging.

Rebound: The Legend of Earl “The Goat” Manigault

My favorite of the scripted films on the list, Rebound recounts the tragic fall from grace of NY playground legend Earl “The Goat” Manigault. The movie is propelled by a wonderful performance from Don Cheadle, and makes you wish Hollywood would give the guy better material to work with these days. Being a TV movie, it doesn’t look as pretty as some of the other films on this list, which shows most notably in the actual basketball scenes. Believe it or not, Don Cheadle never convinced me that he is good at basketball or 6’1”. Still, imagining someone like Rick Fox portraying Manigault’s harrowing descent into heroin addiction really makes you appreciate the choice to use a real actor.

When the Garden Was Eden

We now enter the “Required Viewing” tier of the list; this documentary is absolutely essential to anyone who bleeds orange and blue. The film covers the golden era of Knicks basketball, the two championship teams. I find anything from the era of players who smoked during halftime and held down day jobs to be fascinating.

This Knicks squad is often held up as the pinnacle of what a basketball team can be, and you can see why. They may not have had the sustained dominance of Russell’s Celtics, but the Knicks’ style and identity embodied the principles every team strives for: selflessness and seamless cooperation. Perhaps the film would benefit from some added drama, but that’s just not who these Knicks were. Outside of one or two crazy moments (the obvious favorite being Willis Reed singlehandedly beating up an entire Lakers team), the film is mostly just a portrait of an excellent basketball team. Good enough for me.

Winning Time: Miller vs. The Knicks

This may be a controversial #1, since it focuses on one of the Knicks’ most heartbreaking defeats (the 1995 Eastern Conference Semi-Finals) and leans toward the perspective of Reggie Miller and the Pacers. However, it’s simply the most fascinating look at Knicks basketball you can experience through the film medium, and it functions as a necessary reminder. It reminds us of what must be redeemed, and it enables the uninitiated to understand what it would mean for the team to bring home a ‘ship after such a long drought. Unlike When the Garden Was Eden, Winning Time tells a truly riveting tale, one with twists and turns, heroes (for us, Ewing and Starks) and villains (for any reasonable human being, Reggie Miller). Really, if you haven’t seen it, find a couch and laptop right now and watch all of it. You won’t be disappointed.

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/we-re-excited-for-the-2018-2019-new-york-knicks-and-you-should-be-too-part-iii-the-all-nba-caliber-defenders2018-08-29T12:58:00-04:002018-09-23T19:02:26-04:00We’re Excited for the 2018-2019 New York Knicks, and You Should Be Too: Part III - The All-NBA Caliber DefendersOmniFan Intern

By: Matt Brooks

Welcome to the third and final part of our roster preview, where we at OmniFan have been evaluating the exciting, young talent on the Knicks. If you missed parts I and II, go check those out here and here.

For our final portion of the preview, we will be going over two young players who can potentially bring a Top-5 Defense to New York.

Mitchell Robinson

Man. The Knicks really outdid themselves in this year’s draft.

Drafted in the Second Round of the 2018 Draft, Mitchell Robinson was selected with the 39th pick after skipping college (due to eligibility issues). As a result, Robinson had not played a game of organized basketball for 14 months prior to his Summer League debut. Simply put, he was as raw as they come.

Robinson is an immensely tall player, standing at 7'1" with a solid 7'4" wingspan. He’s fairly skinny for his size, weighing in at 223 pounds, but his slender figure allows him to fly up the court while sprinting from baseline to baseline.

I’m not the first to break this story, as Knicks fans across New York will gladly offer this nugget of information up: Mitchell Robinson is already the all-time leader in blocks per game (...in Summer League).

I try not to overreact to Summer League statistics. So when I say that Robinson has the potential to be one of the better shot-blockers in the league, it isn’t because of the sheer numbers (4.0 BPG) that he was putting up. I’m making this statement because of the type of blocks that Robinson showed he was capable of.

Robinson is, frankly, really freaking tall and knows how to use his length. He’s excellent at using his verticality to deter shots at the rim without fouling (2.75 PF over 5 games) similar to a Roy Hibbert. What sets him apart from Hibbert is that his quick feet allow him to pin layups against the backboard, even after being well out of position.

His four totalblocks on three-pointers were absolutely eye-popping. Take a look at this highlight:

This block by Mitchell Robinson is nuts. Look at the amount of ground he covers after defending the pick-and-roll. pic.twitter.com/LLMLj2wPrl

How many big men in the league could make that type of a block? Four? Five? That’s Anthony Davis level stuff! In three quick steps, Robinson was able to wipe out a seemingly open Lakers’ three-pointer. This type of upside allows Robinson to fit nicely into a switching defense. His ability to step-up to shooters makes him the perfect switching big-man, similar to a Tristan Thompson or a Clint Capela. The difference between Robinson and those players? Robinson is a whole 3 inches taller than the both of them.

In the short-term, Robinson needs to put on some weight. He’s going to get pushed around a lot in the regular season by larger big men, similar to the way that Tony Bradley manhandled him in the Summer League game against the Utah Jazz. Adding some muscle will also reduce the likelihood of injury, which is essential given his 7-foot frame. In terms of player comparisons, Marcus Camby is a name that has been thrown around the office.. and I really like it! At worst, he’ll be a rich man’s Willie-Cauley Stein which, by the way, is a good player!

Looking at the bigger picture, the frontline of Porzingis and Robinson will make scoring in the paint nearly impossible for the opposing team. However, what’s even more crazy is that unlike other 7’0” shot-blockers (such as a DeAndre Jordan or Rudy Gobert), both Porzingis and Robinson are incredibly light on their feet and are very capable of defending smaller players on the perimeter. Defense in today’s league is predicated upon switching between versatile wing players. The Knicks can adopt this strategy while adding their own spice, replacing two of those 6'8" wing players with not only one, but two Unicorn big men. If things develop the way I hope they do, the Knicks have the potential to deploy a switching defense like no other. Get excited Knicks fans, the future is now.

Frank Ntilikina

My colleague, Dylan, published a fantastic article on Frank’s ceiling as well as some excellent analysis on his fundamentals, so go ahead and check that out here.

To quickly give my thoughts on Frank: I think he’s a great young prospect, but I worry that he will never amount to being a star player. I also have serious doubts that he lasts as the Knicks’ long-term answer at Point Guard.

With that said, Ntilikina was quite impressive in his first NBA season, showcasing some lockdown defense from the guard position. He already looks like an All-NBA caliber defender, which is insane given his age. His offense, on the other hand, is… rough at best. He’s a good passer, but is still a poor ball-handler and shows little comfort with shooting the ball (1–5 from three in Summer League). If he is able to improve his shooting even to a league average percentage, he could really see his career take off — similar to a Patrick Beverley.

Even if his shot never sorts itself out, Frank Ntilikina will always be a valuable asset on a good team. Guys like Tony Allen, or most recently, Marcus Smart, have been able to carve out careers acting as the glue guy for elite defenses. These types of players dive for loose balls, cover up for their teammates’ mistakes, and most importantly, give their team some hard-nosed character. Frank’s ability to guard the best player on the opposing team (regardless of position) gives the Knicks flexibility when hunting for their point guard of the future. Whether this player comes through the draft, free agency, or even internally, the team can focus on what this player brings to the table on offense rather than on defense. Suddenly, those Kyrie Irving rumors don’t sound so crazy.]]>
https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/we-re-excited-for-the-2018-2019-new-york-knicks-and-you-should-be-too-part-ii-the-potential-all-stars2018-08-15T17:40:00-04:002018-09-17T10:31:04-04:00We’re Excited for the 2018-2019 New York Knicks, and You Should Be Too: Part II- The Potential All-StarsOmniFan Intern

By: Matt Brooks

Welcome back to The OmniFan’s three-part 2018-2019 roster preview! This week, we have been going over the Knicks’ 25-and-under talent that should have fans buzzing. If you missed Part 1 of this series, go ahead and check that out here.

With that out of the way, let’s go over the two players on the Knicks’ roster who possess serious superstar potential:

Kristaps Porzingis

What more can I really add about the Unicorn that hasn’t been said? The big-man was absolutely dominant through the first month of the 2017–2018 season, posting an absurd 27.7 PPG while leading the team to a surprising 8–6 record, good for 7th in the East. Sadly, the team’s celebration was short-lived, as Porzingis tore his ACL in February (an injury that will likely sideline him until the All-Star break of this season). Even with the injury, Porzingis made his case as one of the best young players in the league and showed potential in leading the Knicks to the playoffs as their go-to guy.

However, just by looking at the numbers, as phenomenal as that start of the season was for Porzingis, he did experience a tailing-off of sorts as the year progressed.

Porzingis saw his PPG and shooting percentage numbers slip with each coming month. As someone who watched him A TON, this can (and should) be attributed to the absurdly high 31.1% usage rate that Porzingis posted in the first two months of the season (placing Porzingis alongside the likes of Westbrook/Giannis/LeBron/Harden in terms of usage). The team’s lack of talent surrounding Porzingis wore him down, as the Unicorn began to settle for lower percentage shots (i.e. Fadeaway Jumpers). Eventually, Porzingis’ tremendous workload finally caught up to him, resulting in the aforementioned season-ending injury.

Here’s my concern… Yes, Porzingis had a RIDICULOUS workload. However, the Knicks did a fairly good job at keeping his minutes under 35 per-game, which is why I’m a bit concerned with his conditioning. Whether this means hiring a real personal traineror simply hitting the weights more frequently, Porzingis needs to alter his body composition to support that insane 7'3" frame. If he’s unable to do so, the Knicks may be forced into cutting down his minutes further. It’s tough to rely on a player of Porzingis’ stature for heavy minutes (see: Yao Ming), but if there’s one thing we have learned about Kristaps so far, it’s that he is not afraidto defy the odds.

Kevin Knox

I have one golden rule when it comes to predicting success in the NBA draft. Always, ALWAYS sell high on players from the University of Kentucky.

Let’s be honest with ourselves for a moment. For the most part, the draft is a complete and utter crapshoot — it’s nearly impossible to predict who will succeed and who will fail in the future.

One thing seems to ring clear each and every season though: ex-Kentucky players have continued to shock the world by outperforming their pre-draft expectations. Whether this be Karl-Anthony Towns unearthing previously unseen shooting capabilities, or Devin Booker busting out some elite off-the-dribble chops and nifty posts moves, guys that have played under Coach Cal tend to have more than meets the eye.

That brings us to Kevin Knox, the Knicks’ recent 9th overall selection, who appears to be following that trend by showcasing elite NBA skills that were hidden inplain sight.

The first thing that sticks out about Knox? His athleticism. The guy is an explosive leaper with some killer speed for a 6'9" wing. Just take a look at his first summer league basket:

Yeah. You can’t teach that type of athleticism. Outside of his ferocious dunking, what really makes him special is his surprisingly tight handle and ability to get to the rim. With a fearless attitude and a quick first step, Knox is very comfortable with getting to the cup from both sides of the court, executing nifty lay-ins, floaters, and even baby hook-shots. One of the guys that I see people comparing Knox to is Paul George. However, even at 18-years-old, Knox is already far better at getting to the line (6.5 FTA, albeit in Summer League) than Paul George ever was (career 4.4 FTA per game). Knox’s nifty finishes around the rim are slightly reminiscent of Kyle Kuzma from the Lakers. What takes him a level higher than Kuz is his superior speed, ball-handling, and overall aggressiveness, and there are times where his game gives me shades of (dare I say it) Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The best part about Knox’s Summer League performance? He put up 21.3 PPG/6.5 RB without a consistent three-point shot. Coming out of the draft, Knox was pegged as a potential 3-and-D wing, much like an Otto Porter or even a Tobias Harris. Looking at his shot, you can see why! He has the makings of a nice shot — good form, balanced shoulders, and a consistent follow-through. The only thing he needs is more reps. Which, by the way, he’s going to get a ton of with Porzingis sidelined until February! Don’t be surprised if Knox ends up winning the 2019 Rookie of the Year.

The 1–2 punch of Knox and Porzingis has the potential to give the team a lethal offense. I’m really hoping that these two grow to resemble how Kristaps and Melo should have looked. Porzingis is really more of an outside-in player and should match perfectly next to Knox’s slashing capabilities. On paper, the fit should be seamless.

The New York Knicks’ Power Forward situation is shaping up to be a little strange in the coming 2018-2019 season. Despite Porzingis’ self-described lizard healing powers, he’s likely to miss at least the beginning of the season, still recovering from the torn ACL. The Knicks will have to be particularly crafty trying to fill the void left by the rising Latvian star, as there’s a dearth of traditional 4’s on the roster. Perhaps it’s all by design, since Coach Fizdale is said to embrace the modern, quasi-positionless brand of basketball that has left so many old-school power forwards out in the cold. However, I’d wager that when the Blake Griffins and Julius Randles of the league stomp into town, you’ll see Fiz’s eyes wander down his bench, searching for a bigger body to fortify the defense.

Occasionally, those eyes may fall on Noah Vonleh.

Let it be known, I fully expect this team’s rotation to be very small-ball oriented as long as Porzingis is out. Kevin Knox and Mario Hezonja are likely better players than Vonleh at the moment (not a good sign for the young big, Knox being a rookie and Hezonja a fellow draft disappointment), and the whole point of positionless basketball is to keep your best players on the floor as much as possible. However, you know a time will come when Derrick Favors will elbow the lean, teenaged Knox into the front row, and Vonleh will get his time in the sun.

The real question is, can Vonleh steal significant minutes playing this kind of role. Quite honestly, I think it will require some major improvement. Vonleh failed to crack twenty minutes a game last season on a pretty barren Chicago Bulls roster, and was arguably lucky to receive the amount of playing time he did.

Vonleh’s major issues right now are on the offensive end. He’s one of these players who can sort of do a lot of different things, but doesn’t have that one skill that keeps him on the court. Ideally you’d like him to be a stretch-big, but he’s a career 66% free-throw shooter who barely scraped 30% from 3 last season. He doesn’t quite have a natural stroke; it’s a little slow, and occasionally results in some really rough misses.

One aspect of his game that has actually improved more than people give him credit for is his playmaking. Now, it’s not like you can run an offense through him like Nikola Jokic or Prime-Marc Gasol, but I was actually surprised to see how comfortable he is passing off of movement. It’s fairly basic stuff, but considering his reputation early-on as a black hole, the kind of player to whom you pass the ball and never see it again, I think it’s encouraging.

He has also improved his ball-handling a lot over the years, but I’d be surprised if that aspect of his game ever makes much on-court impact. He looks comfortable and fluid putting the ball on the floor, but he’s rarely able to create separation, being a 245 pound man with mediocre explosiveness. He is agile enough to attack closeouts though, so if his shot ever improves then perhaps that will become a bigger weapon in his arsenal.

In college, Vonleh was a man-child who could just physically bully inferior competition, and while his knack for rebounding the ball has remained intact, his interior scoring just hasn’t translated at all to the pros. Maybe it’s the fact that he has around average size for an NBA big (9’0” standing reach), maybe it’s his unimpressive bounce, maybe it’s his limited selection of post-moves. What’s clear is that Vonleh will need to find new ways to score if he ever wants to help teams win games at a high-level.

At this moment, Vonleh’s identity is that of a defensive-minded big, but we have yet to really see him develop into the kind of transformational defensive talent that would justify his getting drafted so high. Every year his teams defend just as well, if not better with him on or off the floor, and they score a lot more frequently with him on the bench. Possessing relatively nimble feet and a lengthy wingspan, few teams choose to target him in pick and roll or isolation settings. His big area for improvement is the mental side of the game, sniffing out plays before they even start running or knowing exactly when to provide help to a floundering teammate. With experience may come improved instincts, as we’ve seen guys like DeAndre Jordan arrive in the league extremely raw and slowly develop into quality team defenders. If his shot improves and the light turns on for Vonleh defensively, I think you’ll see him carve out a long NBA career. He is still only 22 after all. If not, I think you’re going to see a ton of Hezonja and Knox at the 4 this year.

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/we-re-excited-for-the-2018-2019-new-york-knicks-and-you-should-be-too-part-i-the-sleepers2018-08-03T18:39:00-04:002018-08-24T12:24:15-04:00We’re Excited for the 2018-2019 New York Knicks, and You Should Be Too: Part I- The SleepersOmniFan Intern

By: Matt Brooks

At the conclusion of the 2018–2019 season, it will have been 20 years since the New York Knicks made their unprecedented run to the NBA Finals as an 8-seed. The 1999 Knicks were the ultimate underdog story — a team that advanced to the promise-land without their Hall of Fame center, Patrick Ewing.

Let’s be honest for a second. Since that joyous 1999 season, there hasn’t been a whole lot to cheer for in New York.

Some of these lows included the regime of Isiah Thomas, who became best known for his disgusting sexual harassment charges as well as the truly awful contracts he dished out (6 years $100 million for Allan Houston *barfs*, 5 years $30 million for Jerome James *faints*, or 6 years $60 million for Eddy Curry *dies*).

There was the Phil Jackson era, where the Hall of Fame Coach-turned Team President insisted on forcing his coaches to run his outdated triangle offense (pour one out for Derek Fisher and Jeff Hornacek). The Zen Master also feuded with his stars, to the point where one of them was traded for pennies on the dollar, while the other skipped team meetings and halted communication with the team. It’s been a tough 20 years for Knicks fans, which is why I’m so excited to deliver some good news:

The current Knicks’ roster has the potential to become the best team since those glorious, bruising ‘90s teams.

Let’s start off with some under-the-radar sleepers on the team.

Trey Burke

Burke was one the best feel-good stories of the 2017–2018 season after breaking out for the Knicks. Prior to last season, the former College Player of the Year had been nothing more than a massive disappointment, bouncing across three teams in two short seasons.

That all changed after last season’s All-Star break. With their star, Kristaps Porzingis, sidelined with injury, the Knicks were more than likely to miss the playoffs and began giving minutes to the former lottery pick, Trey Burke. And boy did he impress.

Burke showed dramatic improvement across the board. He put up a strong 12.8PPG on 50% shooting. He finally showed signs of a three-point shot, which was something that had plagued him for years, posting a slightly-above average 36.5% from three. The thing that stuck out the most was his elite shooting around the rim. According to the Shottracker on NBASavant.com, Burke shot a whopping 73.2% at the rim. This is downright incredible, especially for a player his size! (6'1")

Just for reference, league average from 0–3 feet is around 63%. Burke’s at-rim shooting percentage placed him at the Number 1 slot for guards in the league. Other guards in the 70% range included Ben Simmons and Giannis Antetokounmpo… both of whom are 6'10" freaks of nature.

Burke’s performance and Allen Iverson-ish appearance (bold move on the braids, Trey!) gave Knicks’ fans something to cheer for in the midst of some blatant tanking. Personally speaking, it remains to be seen if he can replicate this type of performance. This might be a classic case of good stats, bad team. The initial results are promising though.

Mario Hezonja

On the first day of free agency, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the Knicks had signed swingman Mario Hezonja to a 1-year, $6.5 million deal. The reactions were fairly homogeneous: people were laughing at the Knicks, rather than with them.

Here’s the thing: I kind of like what the team is doing.

The Knicks’ front office is (finally) being realistic about their timeline. Given the injury of their star and youth of the team, it’s highly unlikely that the Knicks can compete for next season’s title, much less the playoffs. With a team as dominant as the Golden State Warriors hanging around, the Knicks have been quietly offering short (and cheap) deals to former top picks that haven’t panned out (yet!).

Last season, they took a flier on Emmanuel Mudiay, who was Denver’s 7th overall selection in 2015. I’m not high on Mudiay at all — he struggles with finishing at the rim, he’s a poor shooter, and he has no idea how to run an NBA offense.

Hezonja is a different bag.

Looking at his career statistics, I can understand the skepticism you may have, but bear with me for a second.

For the past three seasons, Hezonja has played for one of the three worst franchises in the entire NBA in terms of winning percentage. The team has been notorious for putting their young players in terrible situations. Positional overlap and poor development has caused many of the Magic’s top selections to force their way out of Orlando and break out. Just take a look at the Magic’s 2013 Number 2 overall pick, Victor Oladipo, who was arguably one of the three best guards in the entire league last season while playing for Indiana.

Oladipo is the best case scenario, but there’s no reason to believe that the 2015 5th overall pick, Hezonja, can’t break out as well. Assuming that the Knicks play him at his correct spot (SG), Hezonja is HUGE for his position, listed at 6'8.” Given his tall stature and quick shooting stroke, Hezonja will have no issue shooting over shorter defenders - similar to a Khris Middleton or a Kyle Korver (and maybe even an extremely poor man’s Klay Thompson!). His biggest issue in Orlando was simple: inconsistent playing time. Even with sporadic minutes, Hezonja showed some major flashes. When he’s cooking, the guy can flat-out shoot.

The second half of the 2017-2018 season was the first time he received consistent minutes, and he responded by averaging 15.5 PPG & 5 REB on 46/40/85 shooting splits in February. What followed was a disappointing March (9.9 PPG on 39/23/83 shooting splits), but he closed the season out strong, stroking the ball at a 42% rate from three in April.

Mario is a rhythm shooter, similar to J.R. Smith, and he needs time to feel his way out while playing in games. In order to truly assess his talent, the Knicks should do their best to give him around 20 minutes per game to showcase his skillset and build some confidence. If things pan out the way I hope they do, Hezonja could give the Knicks the shooting they’ve been begging for. The Knicks ranked 29th out of 30 teams in three-point frequency and were also the third worst team in terms of 3-Point percentage (35.3%). Their new coach, David Fizdale, tends to run a fast-paced motion offense, so the opportunity to take threes in volume will definitely be there for Hezonja.

I think that Knicks’ fans are going to love this guy. He’s a cocky son-of-a-b#!% (see: quotes about Messi) and he’s going to thrive in the Big Apple. Long live Mario Hezonja, baby.

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this roster review, where we go over the potential cornerstone players for the Knicks!

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/things-to-look-for-in-2018-19-an-aggressive-ntilikina2018-07-23T16:38:00-04:002018-08-24T10:44:24-04:00Things to Look for in 2018-19: An Aggressive NtilikinaOmniFan Intern
With all of the hype surrounding Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson the last few weeks, it’s easy to forget about the Knicks’ most quietly interesting prospect: Frank Ntilikina. “Interesting”, of course, is different than “best”. While Frank probably doesn’t have Knox’s cold-blooded scoring instincts or Porzingis’ potential for two-way dominance, he has always fascinated me as a versatile talent still searching for his ideal role. Is he a point guard? Is he a shooting guard?

With all of the hype surrounding Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson the last few weeks, it’s easy to forget about the Knicks’ most quietly interesting prospect: Frank Ntilikina. “Interesting”, of course, is different than “best”. While Frank probably doesn’t have Knox’s cold-blooded scoring instincts or Porzingis’ potential for two-way dominance, he has always fascinated me as a versatile talent still searching for his ideal role. Is he a point guard? Is he a shooting guard? Hell, after a few years in the gym he’ll be the same size as Andre Iguodala, maybe you could play him at small forward. Regardless of his role however, the main thing I want to see from Frank this year is more aggressiveness on the offensive end.

You know what I’m talking about. If you watched Knicks games last year, you remember Frank rejecting wide open layups to pass out for corner threes. You remember Frank forcing the ball back to his teammate in the pick and roll, never even looking at the basket to score. And in his first Summer League Game, we saw a lot of the same bad habits. Seemingly unable or unwilling to attack the basket while being guarded by Trae Young, a human traffic cone, it was easy to lose faith in Frank playing the point guard at all in the big league.

In game two, however, we saw a very different player.

The box score certainly suggests that Frank played better in game two, but even more encouraging was the way he was getting his stats (17 points, 6 rebounds). It was if he suddenly looked up and realized, “Huh. I’m way bigger than everybody guarding me.”

Frank made life difficult for 6’2” Jairus Lyles, physically overpowering him to get to the rim or just shooting right over him on turnaround jumpers. While most NBA teams are inching closer and closer to a positionless style of basketball, the guy with the ball in his hands most of the time is still usually 6’3” or smaller. This kind of physical advantage would exist for Frank against nearly every team, it’s really just up to him to use his size aggressively.

We also got to see some more of Frank’s burgeoning floater skills, another useful tool when you’re taller and longer than most people guarding you.

Fizdale talked about getting Frank to be more aggressive in his sideline interview, so we know it’s a priority of the coaching staff. Coach has been frequently praised for his development of young guys, so expect to see more of an attacking style from Ntilikina next season. The next step for him will be to rediscover the off-the-dribble shooting ability he showed at the amateur level. Still only 19, there’s still time for Frank to become the Jrue Holiday-type player he was reputed to be coming out of France.

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https://theomnifan.com/blogs/knicks-omnifan/knicks-fan-since2018-07-11T11:45:00-04:002018-07-23T17:30:49-04:00Knicks Fan Since...Jasmine Gordon
Knicks OmniFan went to MSG to talk to fans and find out how long they've been Knicks fans. Check out what we found: